new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/liboctave/file-stat.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,232 @@
+/*
+
+Copyright (C) 1996, 1997 John W. Eaton
+
+This file is part of Octave.
+
+Octave is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
+Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option) any
+later version.
+
+Octave is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+for more details.
+
+You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+along with Octave; see the file COPYING.  If not, write to the Free
+Software Foundation, 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307, USA.
+
+*/
+
+#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
+#include <config.h>
+#endif
+
+#include <cerrno>
+#include <cstring>
+
+#ifdef HAVE_UNISTD_H
+#ifdef HAVE_SYS_TYPES_H
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#endif
+#include <unistd.h>
+#endif
+
+#include "file-stat.h"
+#include "statdefs.h"
+
+// These must come after <sys/types.h> and <sys/stat.h>.
+
+#include <safe-lstat.h>
+#include <safe-stat.h>
+
+// XXX FIXME XXX -- the is_* and mode_as_string functions are only valid
+// for initialized objects.  If called for an object that is not
+// initialized, they should throw an exception.
+
+bool
+file_stat::is_blk (void) const
+{
+#ifdef S_ISBLK
+  return S_ISBLK (fs_mode);
+#else
+  return false;
+#endif
+}
+
+bool
+file_stat::is_chr (void) const
+{
+#ifdef S_ISCHR
+  return S_ISCHR (fs_mode);
+#else
+  return false;
+#endif
+}
+
+bool
+file_stat::is_dir (void) const
+{ 
+#ifdef S_ISDIR
+  return S_ISDIR (fs_mode);
+#else
+  return false;
+#endif
+}
+
+bool
+file_stat::is_fifo (void) const
+{ 
+#ifdef S_ISFIFO
+  return S_ISFIFO (fs_mode);
+#else
+  return false;
+#endif
+}
+
+bool
+file_stat::is_lnk (void) const
+{ 
+#ifdef S_ISLNK
+  return S_ISLNK (fs_mode);
+#else
+  return false;
+#endif
+}
+
+bool
+file_stat::is_reg (void) const
+{ 
+#ifdef S_ISREG
+  return S_ISREG (fs_mode);
+#else
+  return false;
+#endif
+}
+
+bool
+file_stat::is_sock (void) const
+{ 
+#ifdef S_ISSOCK
+  return S_ISSOCK (fs_mode);
+#else
+  return false;
+#endif
+}
+
+extern "C" void mode_string ();
+
+string
+file_stat::mode_as_string (void) const
+{
+  char buf[11];
+
+  mode_string (fs_mode, buf);
+
+  buf[10] = '\0';
+
+  return string (buf);
+}
+
+// Has FILE been modified since TIME?  Returns 1 for yes, 0 for no,
+// and -1 for any error.
+
+int
+file_stat::is_newer (const string& file, time_t time)
+{
+  file_stat fs (file);
+
+  return fs ? fs.is_newer (time) : -1;
+}
+
+// Private stuff:
+
+void
+file_stat::update_internal (bool force)
+{
+  if (! initialized || force)
+    {
+      initialized = false;
+      fail = false;
+
+      const char *cname = file_name.c_str ();
+
+      struct stat buf;
+
+      int status = follow_links
+	? SAFE_STAT (cname, &buf) : SAFE_LSTAT (cname, &buf);
+
+      if (status < 0)
+	{
+	  fail = true;
+	  errmsg = strerror (errno);
+	}
+      else
+	{
+	  fs_mode = buf.st_mode;
+	  fs_ino = buf.st_ino;
+	  fs_dev = buf.st_dev;
+	  fs_nlink = buf.st_nlink;
+	  fs_uid = buf.st_uid;
+	  fs_gid = buf.st_gid;
+	  fs_size = buf.st_size;
+	  fs_atime = buf.st_atime;
+	  fs_mtime = buf.st_mtime;
+	  fs_ctime = buf.st_ctime;
+
+#if defined (HAVE_ST_RDEV)
+	  fs_rdev = buf.st_rdev;
+#endif
+
+#if defined (HAVE_ST_BLKSIZE)
+	  fs_blksize = buf.st_blksize;
+#endif
+
+#if defined (HAVE_ST_BLOCKS)
+	  fs_blocks = buf.st_blocks;
+#endif
+	}
+
+      initialized = true;
+    }
+}
+
+void
+file_stat::copy (const file_stat& fs)
+{
+  file_name = fs.file_name;
+  follow_links = fs.follow_links;
+  initialized = fs.initialized;
+  fail = fs.fail;
+  errmsg = fs.errmsg;
+  fs_mode = fs.fs_mode;
+  fs_ino = fs.fs_ino;
+  fs_dev = fs.fs_dev;
+  fs_nlink = fs.fs_nlink;
+  fs_uid = fs.fs_uid;
+  fs_gid = fs.fs_gid;
+  fs_size = fs.fs_size;
+  fs_atime = fs.fs_atime;
+  fs_mtime = fs.fs_mtime;
+  fs_ctime = fs.fs_ctime;
+
+#if defined (HAVE_ST_RDEV)
+  fs_rdev = fs.fs_rdev;
+#endif
+
+#if defined (HAVE_ST_BLKSIZE)
+  fs_blksize = fs.fs_blksize;
+#endif
+
+#if defined (HAVE_ST_BLOCKS)
+  fs_blocks = fs.fs_blocks;
+#endif
+}
+
+/*
+;;; Local Variables: ***
+;;; mode: C++ ***
+;;; End: ***
+*/